More than 1-in-4 Australians of all ages (26.1%) or 5.2 million, intend to study or do a course in the next 12 months. And nearly a third (1.68 million) are aged 35 and over according to the latest research conducted by Roy Morgan in the December quarter 2017.

It will come as no surprise that the majority of young Australians are intending to study – 72.7% of 14-24 year olds (2.3 million Australians) intend to study or do a course in the next 12 months. However, this new research also shows significant proportions of older age groups are intent on furthering their education. Indeed the number of older Australians intending to study, at 2.7 million outstrips younger Australians.

Over a quarter of 25-34 year olds (1.06 million Australians) and over a fifth of 35-49 year olds (990,000 Australians) intend to study or do a course in the next 12 months.

In addition and perhaps most surprisingly, nearly 690,000 Australians aged 50+ intend to study or do a course in the next 12 months, 8.3% of the Australian population of that age group.

A majority (of 52.2%) of Australians intending to study or do a course in the next 12 months are employed, 2.75 million Australians. Put another way 30.8% of part-time workers and 20.3% of full-time workers intend to study in the next 12 months.

A further 2.52 million Australians, or 47.8%, who are not employed intend to study comprising of 1.18 million students not currently employed, 670,000 Australians looking for part-time work and a further 180,000 Australians looking for full-time work, 240,000 Australians doing home duties, 130,000 retired Australians and a further 130,000 Australians who don’t work and aren’t looking for work.

Roy Morgan’s research shows over 5.2 million Australians intend to study or do a course in the next 12 months and it’s important to understand exactly who and where these intending students are and Roy Morgan Helix Personas can provide the answers.

Roy Morgan Helix Personas – Click through to learn more.

Helix Personas is a unique and powerful consumer segmentation and data integration tool that combines sophisticated psychographic and behavioural data to classify the Australian population into 56 Personas and seven communities. Helix Personas uses a combination of Roy Morgan Single Source data and third party data sources.

This information is used to understand future buying intentions and media consumption patterns that those looking to target potential students for education opportunities can tap into. These are easily integrated with third party datasets.

Metrotechs and Today’s Families most likely to intend to study

With more than one-in-four Australians intending to study – it’s no surprise that they are all over Australia.

However analysing Australians and where they live utilising the capabilities of the Helix Personas geo-psychographic analysis shows one-in-three Metrotechs, the predominantly younger city dwellers, are intending to study – the city attracts students in their droves. The relatively affluent Today’s Families also have more than their fair share of students or intending students.

In contrast it is Aussie Achievers – outer suburban families working full-time to pay off their mortgages that are least likely to be considering studying in the near future – less likely even than their peers in the Golden Years community.

Somewhat surprising is the finding that 27.1% of Aussies in the lower income Battlers community - younger families looking to keep their heads above water – also have more than their fair share of intending students probably reflecting their need to pursue trade qualifications to increase employment opportunities.

Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan, says education is big business in Australia as a huge export earner as well as the 5.2 million Australians who intend to study in the next 12 months:

“Education is big business in Australia as the country’s third biggest export earner worth $17.7 billion in 2016[1] behind only iron ore and coal.

“And as well as the vast earnings made providing education related services to international students this new research shows there is a huge home market of over 5.2 million Australians intending to study or do a course in the next 12 months, over 26% of the Australian population, to tap into.

“Unsurprisingly the rate of studying is a lot higher for younger people – 72.7% of those aged 14-24 compared to 20.5% of those aged 35-49 and 8.3% for those aged 50+. But the raw numbers show the majority of people intending to study (52%) are aged 25 and over, including 690,000 Australians who are aged 50 and above.

“This new research shows clearly more intending students are working than not and in fact there is no homogenous ‘student’ or ‘intending student’. To understand this valuable consumer group requires as much precision as any marketing exercise.”

March 23 2018

Over a fifth of New Zealanders of all ages (23.1%), or 900,000, intend to study or do a course in the next 12 months and over half, 460,000, are aged 25 and over according to the latest research conducted by Roy Morgan in the D...

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